Lay for bobbin changing looms



Jan. 2, 1934. H. A. DAVIS LAY FOR BOBBIN CHANGING LOOMS Filed Jan. 18, 1933 INVENTOR.

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64 //v TON 6. Coal/EN.

ATTORNEY.

Patented jan. 2, 1934 T'i" Ti LAY FGR BOBBEN CHANGING LOOMS Harry A. Davis, Hopedale, Mass, assignor to Draper Corporation, poraticn of Maine Application January 18,

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to looms and has more particular reference to the construction of the lay and shuttle box of a bobbin changing loom.

As generally constructed, bobbin changing looms include a reciprocatinglay carrying, at each end thereof, at least one shuttle box, and also include mechanism for automatically changing bobbins in the shuttle by inserting a fresh bobbin down into the shuttle and ejecting the old bobbin through an opening in the bottom of the shuttle box and the lay. This opening must be wide enough to accommodate a full bobbin, should one be ejected and at the same time must be narrow enough to leave supporting surfaces for the walls of the shuttle. These conflicting requirements would not be too difficult to meet if it were not for the further complication introduced by variation in the width of the shuttle as the latter wears. The back box plate must be 20 carefully aligned with the reed, and thus its position is more or less predetermined. The front box plate is initially adjusted for a full width shuttle and then, as the shuttle wears, is adjusted rearwardly to compensate for the decreasing width of the shuttle. Since practically all the wear on the shuttle comes on the rear wall, which rubs on the reed, adjustment of the box plate serves to shift the shuttle bodily, laterally of the bobbin passage.

The shifting of the shuttle, aforementioned, has been accounted for in actual practice by making the bobbin passage in the shuttle box and lay considerably wider than the corresponding opening in the shuttle, with the result that very little of the bottom of the shuttle box was left to support the shuttle. The disadvantages of such a construction are numerous, but the most serious are the rapid wear of the bottom of the shuttle, the possibility of the shuttle entering into and being trapped in the bobbin passage, and the possibility of the shuttle being improperly picked due to a lack of proper guidance as it leaves the shuttle box.

I propose to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages by providing adjustable means for restricting the width of the bobbin passage. The slot in the lay, and metal lay end if one be used, is made relatively wide as usual, but I provide a separate shuttle supporting member forming the bottom of the shuttle box, and, furthermore make the slot in this member relatively narrow, so that the member affords ample support for the shuttle and still the slot is of sumcient width to permit the passage therethrough of a full bobbin. Then, by making the shuttle supporting member adjust- Hopedale, Mass, a cor- 1933. Serial No. 652,344

able laterally relative to the shuttle path and the walls of the shuttle box, the shifting position of the shuttle, occasioned by its wear, is successfully accounted for without the previously mentioned disadvantages of the prior constructions.

There are many ways in which the object of my invention may be attained, but the preferred embodiment thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional View on a vertical plane passing from the front to rear through the shuttle box at the replenishing end of the lay, parts of the bobbin changing mechanism being fragmentarily illustrated; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, the lay being moved back slightly and certain parts being shown in section.

The conventional form of bobbin changing loom, to which my invention is applicable, need not be illustrated or described in detail, and accordingly I have shown but sufficient portions thereof to fix the relation of my invention thereto;

Such portions consist of a frame, illustrated fragmentarily at 1, a lay 2, usually of wood, the replenishing end only of which is shown, and a bobbin changing mechanism, to be described later.

The lay 2 is mounted on swords 3 for reciprocation toward and from the front of the loom in the usual manner. The lay carries, at each end, at least one suitable shuttle box for the reception of a shuttle 4 which is picked back and forth, as by a picker stick 5, only one shuttle box and picker stick being shown. The shuttle box illustrated is comprised of front and rear shuttle guiding walls formed, respectively, on front box plate 6 and back box plate '7, and a binder 8 and a bottom member to be described later.

The position of the back box plate 7, with re.- spect to the lay, is predetermined, in that it must be carefully aligned with the reed (not shown), while the front box plate 6 is adjustable forwardly and rearwardly, by means of bolt-and-slot connections 9, 9. Adjustment of the front wall of the shuttle box rearwardly may be made to compensate for wear of the shuttle.

The shuttle 4 is vertically apertured, as at 10, to provide a cavity within which is received a bobbin 11, carrying the filling supply. A reserve supply of bobbins is carried in a suitable manner, as by a rotary hopper 12. The usual means for automatically changing bobbins in the shuttle consists of a transfer hammer l3 pivoted on a stud 14 in the hopper stand 15, the hammer 13 being actuated by a dog 16 pivoted thereto and engageable at the proper time by a hunter 1'? carried by the lay. The hammer 13 operates to insert a fresh bobbin into the shuttle and'thereby eject the old bobbin 11 down through a slot formed in the bottom of the shuttle box.

To provide for the passage of the ejected bobbin it has been customary to cut away the end of the lay as shown at 18 and mount thereon a separate metal piece 19, commonly called a lay end. The lay end covers the top of, and reinforces the wood portion of the lay. The lay end is provide: with a longitudinally extending slot 29 which serves as a picker stick slot, and also as a passage for the ejected bobbin. The slot 20, at its extreme end, is only wide enough to acconnnodate the picker stick, but is substantially increased in width throughout the remainder of its length.

It is noted at this point, that most of the wear on the shuttle occurs on the back wall thereof. It follows that, when the front wall of the shuttle box is shifted rearwardly, as the shuttle wears, the elfect is to shift the shuttle bodily rearwardly. This shifting of the shuttle requires that the bobbin passage through the lay, definedby slot 20, which must always permit passage of a full bobbin should one be accidentally ejected, be considerably wider than the aperture 11 in the shuttle. The wider portion of the slot 20 is shown on the drawing as having about its usual relation to the aperture 11. It is apparent, particularly from Fig. 1, that if the shuttle is supported directly on the lay, or more properly the lay end, as has heretofore been the practice, very little of the bottom of the shuttle box is available as a shuttle support, with the result that the bottom of the shuttle wears away rapidly, and the shuttle is never properly guided.

Instead of supporting the shuttle in the manner stated, I provide a shuttle supporting member 21, separate from the lay or the lay end and secured thereto for adjustment forwardly and rearwardly i. e. laterally of the path of the shuttle. The member 21 is provided with a combined picker stick and bobbin passage slot 22, which is appreciably narrower than the wider part of the slot 20.

The shuttle supporting member 21 may assume any of various forms, and its adjustment may be procured in numerous different ways. However, one good embodiment is selected for purposes of illustration. The particular form shown is comprised of a fiat, substantially U-shaped steel piece secured to the upper face of the lay end. The lay end is recessed, as shown at 23, so that the upper face of the member 21 will be substantially flush with the upper surface of the remainder of the lay end. The legs of the member extend substantially parallel to the slot 20 and serve to define the slot 22. The outer end of one of the legs carries a vertical pin, or rivet, 2e engaging in an enlarged hole 24 in the lay end. A bolt 25, having a countersunk head, passes through the inner end of the member 21 and through a transverse slot in the lay end and lay. A similar bolt and slot connection 27 may be provided at the outer end of the other leg of the member 21, this latter bolt passing only through the lay end, as the lay is cut away at this point.

Upon loosening the bolts 25, 27 the shuttle supporting member may be pivotally adjusted, about viding ample support for the shuttle at all times.

The particular adjusting means for the shuttle supporting member, as herein disclosed, provides for bodily moving the latter forwardly and rearwardly and for pivotal adjustment about a vertical axis, wherefore the member may be moved, wilhin limits, to any desired position laterally relative to the walls of the shuttle box, the lay end, and the shuttle path.

The pivotal adjustment permits alignment of the slot in the member with the direction of flight of the shuttle, and I accordingly prefer the same, without, however, limiting myself thereto.

Having fully disclosed the preferred embodiment of my invention, I claim:

1. A metal lay end having a picker stick slot extending longitudinally thereof, and a separate shuttle supporting member secured thereto and having a picker stick slot therein, a portion of said last mentioned slot being relatively narrower than the first said slot, the said member being adjustable laterally of the lay end to vary the relative positions of the two said picker stick slots.

2. A metal lay end, slotted for the reception of a picker stick, and a separate shuttle supporting member adjustably secured to the upper face of the lay end for adjustment laterally thereof, said member being provided with a picker stick slot overlying the first said slot, the major portion of said second-mentioned slot being narrower than the underlying portion of the first said slot, adjustment of the said member serving to vary the position of the slot therein relative to the first said slot.

3. A metal lay end for the lay of the bobbin changing looms, said lay end having a slot extending longitudinally thereof for the passage of an ejected bobbin, and a shuttle supporting member having spaced arms extending longitudinally of the lay end and defining between them a slot forming a relatively narrower bobbin passage, the said member being adjustably secured to the lay end for adjustment laterally of the first said slot.

4. A metal lay end for the lay of bobbin changing looms, said lay end having a slot extending longitudinally thereof for the passage of an ejected bobbin, and a substantially U-shaped shuttle supporting member adjustably secured to the upper surface of the lay end with the legs of the member extending approximately parallel to the said slot, the space between the legs of the said member being relatively narrower than the widest part of the said slot and adjustable laterally thereof.

5. A metal lay end for the lay of bobbin changing looms, said lay end having a picker stick slot extending longitudinally thereof, and a substantially U-shaped shuttle supporting member having the outer end of one of its legs mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, the other end of the member being adjustably secured to the lay end, and the space between the legs of the said member being relatively narrower than the widest part of the picker stick slot.

6. A lay for bobbin changing looms, said lay having, at the replenishing end thereof, a shuttle box including front and rear shuttle guiding walls at least one of which is adjustable relative to the lay, and a shuttle supporting member at the bottom of the shuttle box, said member having a slot extending longitudinally of the lay and forming a passage for the ejected bobbins, the member being adjustable laterally of the walls of the shuttle box to vary the position of the said slot relative thereto.

7. A lay for bobbin changing looms, said lay having, at the replenishing end thereof, a shuttle box including front and rear shuttle guiding walls at least one of which is adjustable relative to the lay, and a shuttle supporting member at the bottom of the shuttle box, said member having a longitudinally extending slot through which a bobbin may be ejected, and means for adjusting said member forwardly and rearwardly to vary the position of said slot relative to the lay.

8. A bobbin changing loom having, in combination, a reciprocating lay with at least one shuttle box at one end thereof, a shuttle containing a bobbin, means for changing bobbins in the shuttle by inserting a fresh bobbin therein and ejecting the old bobbin down through a slot in the bottom of the said shuttle box, and a shuttle supporting member forming the bottom of the said shuttle box and containing the said slot, said member being adjustable horizontally, to thereby vary the position of said slot laterally of the path of the shuttle.

9. A bobbin changing loom having, in combination, a reciprocating lay carrying a shuttle bobbins in the shuttle by inserting a fresh bobbin therein and ejecting the old bobbin down through a slot in the bottom of the said shuttle box, and a shuttle supporting member forming the bottom of the said shuttle box and containing the said slot, said member being secured to the lay for adjustment about a vertical axis to thereby laterally vary the position of said slot with respect to said aperture.

10. A bobbin changing loom having, in combination, a reciprocating lay carrying a shuttle box, a vertically apertured shuttle containing a bobbin within said aperture, means for changing bobbins in the shuttle by inserting a fresh bobbin therein and ejecting the old bobbin down through a slot in the bottom of the said shuttle box, and a shuttle supporting member forming the bottom of the said shuttle box and containing the said slot, said shuttle box including a front box plate that is adjustable rearwardly to compensate for wear of the shuttle, and the said member being adjustable horizontally to align the slot therein with the said aperture in the shuttle.

HARRY A. DAVIS. 

